ABSTRACT
THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF MIGRATION incites dramatic transformations in women’s and mens attitudes about their work, their gender roles, and relationships within the family. Wage work in the United States is simply one change-inducing element in a broader social-cultural context where women find themselves transformed through the processes of migration and settlement. In tandem, migration and labor force participation in the United States effectively erode the political and economic basis of patriarchal authority, since men rarely perform as sole heads of households upon settlement in this country. The balance of power between men and women in family structures shifts as women gain greater personal autonomy, independence, and decision-making leverage from their participation in the labor force and in community life. Men, on the other hand, are forced to share authority, decision-making, and sometimes even household responsibilities (albeit unevenly) with women, particularly if women are employed full-time outside the home. 1
